


Fallen Petals, Flowering Connections

by BlockWritesShance



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Blood, Fluff, Hanahaki Disease, Lance has depression, M/M, NO DEATH, OC planets and races, Pining, Shiro has PTSD, Vomiting, clueless Lance, clueless Shiro, cuddle piles, flower disease, hunk and Lance are the brotp, mention of antidepressants, support systems are used so the team is less damaged, tw: blood and vomiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-08-04 12:17:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16346591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlockWritesShance/pseuds/BlockWritesShance
Summary: Shiro grimaced as pain lanced through his chest and he coughed one last time, spitting into the sink before wiping his mouth and shutting the water off.If he had glanced back as he left the room, he would’ve seen the single blue flower petal covered in blood sitting innocently in the sink.______Lance stared in horror at the large purple flower laying in the sink, blood dripping from the dark purple petals. He reached out shaking fingers and poked at the flower, disbelief filling him.That had come from his mouth. He had coughed up a fucking flower._____Shiro and Lance are both coughing up flowers to the confusion of the entire team. The two are quarantined while they try to figure out what exactly caused this, and how they can fix the problem.





	Fallen Petals, Flowering Connections

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to https://ifellfromtheskies.tumblr.com/ for the commissioned artwork! Go check them out on tumblr!

 

Shiro frowned at the itch in his chest, the tingling sensation crawling up his throat. He cleared his throat gently, trying not to disturb the rest of his team from their sleep. All that did was make the itching worse, and Shiro shifted in annoyance. Pidge was sprawled across his back and Lance across his legs, both of them snoring softly. Hunk was on the floor with Keith, the two cuddling quietly as the movie continued to play overhead.

“Shiro, are you alright?” Shiro jolted at the voice and turned his gaze downwards. Deep blue eyes stared at him through the darkness, lidded as their owner was still half-asleep. Fondness poured through Shiro’s chest and he reached a hand down to gently stroke his fingers through brown hair.

“I’m fine, Lance, just an itch in my throat. Go back to sleep.” Shiro smiled softly as Lance hummed his response, tilting his head into Shiro’s scratching fingers as his eyes fluttered closed.

“Hmm, ‘ood ni’ ‘iro.”

“Good night, Lance,” Shiro chuckled, removing his hand and bringing it up to rest behind his head. Sleep began to claw its way into his brain, the itch that had been bothering him now gone and allowing him to feel sleepy.

His dreams that night were filled with the warmth of the sun on his chest as he floating in the cool arms of the sea.

**| Carnations, especially, have a long history of symbolism. Whether used at a wedding or “just because,” carnations are second only to roses as signs of heartfelt sentiment. |**

Shiro stumbled into his room with a yawn, his back cracking as he stripped his shirt off. They had spent the last 36 hours keeping the planet of Fa’roan from being taken over by the Galra. The team had formed Voltron twice in that battle, only splitting up the first time in order to save some of the escape pods the Fa’roan’s had sent out in their panic.

‘ _We’ll have to debrief tomorrow_ ,’ Shiro mentally ran through a makeshift schedule as he stumbled into the bathroom to relieve himself. ‘ _The team would be too tired to do it now. Besides, they’re more talkative when they have something in their stomachs.’_

Another yawn forced itself out of Shiro’s mouth, and he quickly covered it as he reached for his toothbrush and toothpaste. (Or, the closest approximation of toothpaste Coran and Lance had been able to cook up). He flipped the water on as he squirted a dollop of the bright orange paste onto his toothbrush, wrinkling his nose at the overwhelming orange scent that fluttered upwards.

The itch from two nights before came back in the middle of brushing his teeth, and this time Shiro didn’t hesitate to cough. Bright orange foam splattered into the sink, dots littering the mirror and frustration plowed through Shiro. He yanked the water back on and thrust his hand underneath in order to pull a handful up to his mouth and rinse. The itch wasn’t gone though, and Shiro felt himself growl before forcing himself to cough again, deeper this time.

His coughing rang through his chest, pulling at something deep inside and Shiro panicked for a moment. He just couldn’t understand where this blasted cough was coming from! Allura had informed all of the Paladins that they had been immunized from any diseases when they had first arrived at the castle, so why was he coughing?

Shiro grimaced as pain lanced through his chest and he coughed one last time, spitting into the sink before wiping his mouth and shutting the water off.

If he had glanced back as he left the room, he would’ve seen the single blue flower petal covered in blood sitting innocently in the sink.

**| Blue’s association with truth makes blue carnations popular at weddings, where they serve as a reminder of the devotion and true love the bride and groom have for each other. |**

Shiro had been acting weird lately and Lance was concerned. The man had been skipping out on their weekly team movie and cuddle sessions, locking himself in his room with the excuse of feeling too tired. During mealtime, he would come in and grab a bowl to go before leaving with the excuse of research.

Lance was worried that Shiro was having a relapse.

After their first month out in space, the team had grown into more of a family than a team. They had all sat down together and gone over personal problems they wanted help with. Pidge had their gender identity confusion and didn’t want to be addressed as any gender. Hunk wanted help for when he would get extremely emotional about the lives he had to take. Keith wanted help adjusting to being a team and not having to stay bottled up. Lance had come forward with his empty antidepressants bottle and Shiro… Shiro had come forward to ask for help with his PTSD.

Everyone had done their best to help everyone, but Lance had been extremely focused on Shiro. (It didn’t help that he had a crush on the man and that he knew what PTSD could do thanks to his grandfather). It had taken months for Lance to get Shiro to ask for a cuddle session when he knew an episode would be coming on later that night, drawing comfort from the rest of his team. It had taken even longer for Lance to get Shiro to talk about what he remembered.

“I don’t know guys,” Lance sighed, reaching out a hand to stroke at the mouse cuddle pile on his chest. “I guess I’m just worried that Shiro’s going to keep shutting us out and then we’ll never be able to help him.”

Soft chirps echoed back before Platt stood up and darted towards the door. The rest of the mice perked up before following his example, darting for the door before squeaking at Lance.

“You want me to follow you?” Amusement and gratitude flooded through Lance and he quickly pushed himself off of his bed, throwing on his Lion slippers. “Alright, what do you want to show me?”

He palmed the door open and the mice were off, leading him towards the training room. Just when he thought that’s exactly where they were taking him, they turned at the last minute to go up to the observation deck. He was confused at first, opening the door to allow the mice in first.

“What are we doing here guys?” Lance shuffled forward curiously, his fingers fidgeting with the ends of his robe. “Is he in there, training too hard again? “

A flood of warmth went through Lance at the thought of watching Shiro train, and he eagerly walked forward to peer out of the window. Instead of seeing Shiro going one on one with a training bot, it was Shiro and Keith training together. Lance felt his throat grow tight, a small itch growing that he rubbed away. The two were talking as they spared and something about it rubbed Lance the wrong way.

“What are they doing? I thought Keith was still recovering from his last mission with the Blades?” Lance wondered aloud as he leaned a hip against the counter, crossing his arms across his chest and tangling his fingers in the soft fabric of his robe.

Down below, Shiro had Keith pinned, legs entangled as they wrestled on the floor. Hands grasped at fabric and hair and Lance felt his stomach drop. It was as Keith tilted his head up that Lance darted away, running back to his room as he choked on a sob.

He knew that it would be near impossible for Shiro to like him back, but he had had hope that there was at least a little fondness between them! But no, Keith was — once again — the better choice.

**| Symbolizing strength and moral integrity, gladioli also represent infatuation, with a bouquet conveying to a recipient that they pierce the giver's heart with passion. |**

Shiro groaned as Keith headbutted him and fell back, inwardly cursing as the itch in his throat began to grow. He turned his back to Keith, holding up a hand as he coughed, annoyed at himself for allowing this, this whatever it was, to take over his life. He couldn’t do anything anymore!

“Shiro?” Keith sounded concerned and Shiro felt him rest a hand on his shoulder. Shiro waved him off, standing up fully before turning to smile widely at his brother, putting his hands up.

“I’m fine, Keith, just had to catch my breath.”

Keith looked skeptical, so Shiro swung out and boxed him about the ears, snickering at the yelp Keith let out.

“Oh, your ass is mine!” Keith growled out before leaping at Shiro. Shiro cackled as he went down, enjoying the familiar wrestling. Everything was going great — Shiro didn’t feel like coughing every five seconds, Keith was grinning, everyone was happy — and then Keith landed with his knee in Shiro’s chest and Shiro was sent into a coughing fit.

“F-fuck!” Shiro gasped out as he rolled up onto all fours, his body shaking with the coughs. Blood splattered across the floor and Shiro closed his eyes in defeat.

“Shiro!” Keith was there, arms supporting Shiro as he coughed and gasped and shivered, hands stroking his back until he was finished. Keith’s voice was shaking when he spoke, “Shiro, you just coughed up flowers. What the hell is going on?!”

Shiro collapsed onto his back, exhaustion creeping over him, uncaring for the blood he was laying in.

“I don’t fucking know, Keith. I don’t know.”

**| The Gladiolus flower is also a symbol of strength and overcoming difficulties in life. |**

Lance stared in horror at the large purple flower lying in the sink, blood dripping from the dark purple petals. He reached out shaking fingers and poked at the flower, disbelief filling him.

That had come from his _mouth_. He had coughed up a fucking _flower_.

“What’s going on?” Lance pulled his hand back to cup his throat as the itching started up again. Tears pricked up at the corners of his eyes as he began to cough again, flames tearing through his chest and up his throat.

In the sink, blood splattered across white and purple, and Lance cried out as another flower flopped out of his mouth. When the itch went away and the flames receded, Lance curled up in the corner of the bathroom, jacket wrapped tightly around him as he shivered. Stories that his mother had told him as a child began to filter through his mind.

_“Mijo, remember that love is a dangerous thing. Just like your bisabuela, you give your love too easily. Do you remember her story?”_

_“Sí, mamá. She loved someone who didn’t love her in return. Her feelings were so strong though, that they took root in her body and began to grow!”_

_“Yes, and she would have died were it not for your bisabuelo. His love cured her.”_

Lance let out a keening whine, his fingers digging into his chest. He didn’t understand! He’d done so well avoiding feelings! He’d kept everyone at bay with his jokes and his flirting, who could he have fallen in love with?

Panic filled Lance and he buried his head in his knees as the room began to swim before his eyes. An image swam before him, Shiro smiling fondly down at him as he dragged his fingers through Lance’s hair, and Lance’s head snapped up.

“Oh, fuck.”

**| Hanahaki Disease is the growth of flowers in the lungs of someone who has developed unrequited love. Originating from the planet Hana’Hori, this small seed has taken to drifting through the universe after the destruction of its planet. |**

Shiro groaned as Keith glared at him. The two had quickly cleaned up the mess in the training deck before Keith dragged Shiro back to his room. Shiro had been pushed onto Keith’s bed, covered with a blanket, and given a glass of water before Keith had leaned against the opposite wall, arms crossed.

“What’s going on, Shiro? Things like this don’t happen out of nowhere.”

Shiro’s shoulders dropped and he pulled the blanket closer around him as he sighed and set the — now empty — cup aside.

“I wish I knew, Keith. If I knew what was happening it wouldn’t be happening anymore.”

Keith narrowed his eyes before turning his head to the side. His shoulders drew up as if to shield himself, and Shiro straightened, growing worried.

“Keith?”

“After you’d… died, Adam took me to visit your family. Your grandmother became very fond of me and I would visit her a lot. We would sit out in the garden as she tended to her flowers and she would tell me stories.”

Shiro blinked in confusion. He had no idea what his grandmother had to do with the situation — okay he could sort of see it with the whole flowers thing, but that still doesn’t explain anything.

“One story she told me was because of her fear that Adam would succumb to it.” Keith turned his head to lock eyes with Shiro, and Shiro felt his breath freeze in his throat. “The story of the Hanahaki.”

Shiro went numb.

“She told me how heartache could lead to demons taking root in you and planting seeds, causing your sadness and depression to grow until it spilled out of your mouth in the form of flowers. Physical representations of your pain and anguish. She mentioned that it was rare, and only happened to those who were truly in love with another person.”

Keith shifted from foot to foot, his knuckles going white as he squeezed his arms together tighter.

“She was extremely surprised when Adam was fine,” Keith whispered and then fell silent, gaze locked on Shiro.

Shiro was lost.

He, he had thought that he’d been in love with Adam. Adam, the man who had not only taken his virginity and his heart but had provided shelter and warmth, who had broken his heart when he refused to accept his — then — dying wish.

But, it had been years since he and Adam had been separated. So why was this only happening now? Who could he be experiencing heartache for?

None of this was making any sense!

“Shiro? Is it,” Keith swallowed harshly, “It’s not me, right?”

Shiro burst into giggles, collapsing to the side.

Keith stared in lost confusion before collapsing onto the ground next to Shiro. The only way to deal with a hysterical Shiro, he’d learned from Adam and Shiro’s family, was to let him tire himself out. Shiro would calm down eventually and that would be the best time to talk. In the meantime, he could try and figure out who the hell Shiro was in love with and why they didn’t love him back.

It would be easy to fix this problem, after all, Keith thought to himself as he reached back to pat at the blade he kept fixed to his lower back.

**| Many people believe that the flower you cough up has a meaning that tells you about the person you’re in love with. This is false. The flowers represent your feelings for that person and how you view them. |**

Lance walked into breakfast the next morning with bags under his red eyes. Hunk stared at him with wide eyes before smacking Pidge on the arm. They sputtered indignantly before pausing after a glance at Lance.

“Uh, Lance? Are you okay?” Pidge questioned as Hunk pulled out a chair for Lance to collapse into. They rested a soft hand on Lance’s arm, exchanging a glance with Hunk when Lance answered.

“No.” Lance curled further into his chair, pulling his hood up and dragging the edges of his jacket around his small form. “I don’t want to talk about it either; can we just, eat?”

Hunk inhaled deeply, his eyes and mouth tight as he nodded. “Of course, Lance. It’s a bad day just like back at the Garrison. Can I have a number please?”

Lance swallowed, reaching out to finger the spoon sitting innocently next to his bowl.

“Ten.”

Pidge and Hunk froze as Lance brought his spoon up to dip into the bowl before bringing the wobbly green food goo up to his mouth. The two settled in next to Lance, pressing against his side as they ate with him. When the trio finished their meal, they left the bowls on the counter before making their way up to Hunk’s room, Pidge and Lance both stopping to grab their personal pillows and change into their pajamas and slippers.

“Alright, now that we’re somewhere private, do you wanna talk about it?” Hunk settled back against the wall, stretching his legs out on his bed as Lance leaned against his chest. “Or do you wanna just cuddle while Pidge and I talk?”

Lance tapped twice against Hunk’s chest and Hunk wrapped his arms around Lance. He and Pidge started up an easy conversation on the recent projects they had been working on. Every once in a while, Lance would shift, his body tensing with small tremors.

Everything came to a head when Lance let out a wheeze and struggled to get out of Hunk’s arms, his chest heaving with each cough that left his lips.

“Lance?” Hunk followed after Lance as his best friend stumbled into the bathroom, leaning over the sink as he gagged. “Lance!”

Pidge dashed from the room at Hunk’s waved hand, running to grab Coran as they had agreed upon. Hunk stood behind Lance, bracing his quivering form as something plopped into the sink. The copper scent of blood filled Hunk’s nose and he froze as Lance let out a whimper.

“It’s over now.” Lance’s words were raspy, sounding as if he had coughed up nails instead of….

“Is that a flower? Did you just hack up a flower?!” Hunk stared wide-eyed at the purple, red, and green mess in the sink, not comprehending what just happened.

“Funny story,” Lance huffed out as he flopped down onto the toilet, his legs shaking.

“Is this why you are at a ten today?” Hunk knelt down and grabbed one of his washcloths from the box under the sink, rinsing it with warm water before passing it over to Lance to wipe his mouth off.

Lance nodded before holding his arms up with a pleading look. Hunk smiled, picking Lance up in his arms before carrying him back to his bed and laying him down.

“Lance, my boy?” Coran poked his head into the room, Pidge peeking out from behind him. “Is everything alright? Number Five said you were sick.”

Lance turned scared eyes up to Hunk and Hunk swallowed before nodding and jerking his head in Coran’s direction, eyes narrowed.

_If you don’t tell him, I will._

“Go look in the sink,” Lance rasps out before curling up under the blankets, his hand darting out to tangle his fingers in Hunk’s large shirt.

**| Some say that if you have a surgery done to remove the seeds that grow in your lungs, that you’ll be cured but forget the one you love. This is wrong. The only two cures for this disease are Reciprocation stated aloud, and Death. |**

Everyone had been gathered in the lounge for the meeting, Lance sandwiched between Pidge and Hunk and Shiro sitting with Keith hovering over his shoulder. Allura and Coran were both bent over a data pad, ears twitching as they debated and flipped through the screens.

“Princess, I just don’t know! There’s nothing in the system about a disease that makes someone cough up flowers, and the only thing I can think of is it’s developed over the 10,000 years we’ve been asleep.”

Shiro tensed, Keith’s grip on his shoulder tightening.

“Who told you?” Keith’s voice is sharp ice, cutting and demanding everyone’s attention.

“Told us? Told us what number four?” Coran raised an eyebrow, turning away from Allura. Allura lowered the datapad, turning her gaze to Keith, her eyes narrowed.

Keith swallowed at all of the attention, pausing to take a breath before opening his mouth. Before he could get a word out, however, there was a large retching sound. Immediately he turned his gaze to Shiro, confused at the fact that he hadn’t felt Shiro’s back ripple with his body’s convulsions. Shiro was fine though, his mouth open and eyes wide as he stared at something to Keith’s left.

“Deep breaths Lance, it’ll be over soon,” Hunk reassures Lance, one hand rubbing circles over Lance’s hunched back. Pidge was curled up in the corner of the couch, eyes squeezed shut as they tried to distance themselves from the heaving Lance.

“Lance?” Shiro’s voice was quiet, and Keith blinked.

Lance had the disease too.

Lance let out a whine, curling even further over a small bowl Keith hadn’t noticed earlier. A quick sniff revealed that the air smelled more coppery and Keith sighed.

“Shiro’s been coughing up blood and blue flowers.”

“Well shit, we should make a club!” Lance gasped the words out, tilting his head up to send a soft wink towards Shiro before grimacing. He spat once more into the bowl before settling back against Hunk’s chest, losing himself in the fluff.

“I’ll make the T-shirts,” Shiro chuckled before his attention was drawn by a cleared throat. Coran and Allura were standing pressed together, eyes soft as they stared at their Paladins.

“I’m afraid that there’s nothing in the system recorded about a disease like this,” Allura’s voice was pained as she spoke, her expression closed off. “Lance, Shiro, since we have no idea how you both received this, we’re going to have to quarantine you.”

“What?!” Hunk shot to his feet. “But we’ve all already been exposed to them!”

Keith moved to put a hand on the knife at his lower back, removing his hand from Shiro’s shoulder as he widened his stance. “I’m not leaving Shiro’s side.”

“That’s enough!” Lance hoarse voice made everyone freeze, drawing everyone’s eyes. He was standing behind Hunk, Pidge burying their face in his chest. His face was still pale from where he had vomited the flowers, but his expression was strong.

“Coran, is there any way to do scans on Shiro and I to see where the flowers are located? Blood tests to see if it’s contagious? Shiro and I can wait alone in the med bay or even one of the pods if that would make you feel more comfortable.” Lance rubbed a hand across Pidge’s back before gently moving them to the side so that he could grab his bowl.

Keith’s eyes instantly caught the blood splatters speckled across the edges of the bowl and the soft petals of a purple flower before Lance was moving too far away for him to see anymore. Keith felt the hair on the back of his neck rise as Shiro stood up and followed, squeezing Keith’s shoulder reassuringly as he passed by.

**| The first recorded instance of the Hanahaki Disease dates back to Ancient Egypt. A young girl who worked for the Pharaoh's third wife had fallen in love with her. She died when black roses grew and filled her lungs. We know this today because her journal was discovered, buried with the third wife! |**

Lance sighed as the door closed behind him and Shiro. Coran has drawn their blood and run a few scanners over them before running off with Pidge to the medical bay to do research. He and Shiro had been left alone in a patient room off to the side. Lance walked over to the bed and laid down, spreading out like a starfish before curling up into a ball. The sight of a cradle in the corner opposite of him brought back the memory of Pidge teasing him.

_“It’s the maternity room!” Pidge had exclaimed with a wide grin. “I know you fantasize about having Shiro’s babies all the time so I figured I’d help those dreams become a step closer to reality.”_

_“Fuck off, ya little gremlin! I don’t need this sass!” Lance huffed, his cheeks a bright red as he spotted Shiro down the hall talking quietly with Keith and Allura._

“So,” Shiro rubbed the back of his neck as he sat down on the bed next to Lance, “I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of this disease before but back home my grandmother would tell me about something called the Hanahaki Disease. Uhm, basically it’s caused by having feelings for someone that’s not returned.”

“Mama used to tell me stories of a woman who’s love took root in her chest, taking nourishment from her body because the person she loved didn’t love her back,” Lance whispered the words into the air above the pillow, turning to meet Shiro’s eyes.

Shiro swallowed harshly, his eyes darting away. Lance continued to look at him, sighing internally when Shiro kicked his lips nervously. Shiro’s shoulders seemed to tense before he turned back to make eye contact with Lance, his mouth opening to rasp out–

“Lance, who did you fall in love with? Is it Allura?”

Lance froze, his eye growing wide.

**| The most recent recorded incident was in 2018 when the disease went crazy all over the world before dying out in the fall of 2019. No one knows why this disease suddenly stopped, and the best guess is that it was used to control population growth by an outside source. |**

Pidge glared at the screen in front of them, their eyes growing fuzzy from where they hadn’t blinked in five minutes. Symbols danced across the screen, there one second and gone the next.

“Is there anything yet?” Hunk’s voice spoke up from the corner he was seated in. A glance revealed that the large man was surrounded by parts and tools, what was left of a toaster/blender machine outline set to the side.

Pidge sighed, turning in their chair to hold out their arms. Hunk immediately scrambled to his feet before running over to envelop Pidge in a large hug. He sniffed, reaching up to rub at his eyes before setting Pidge back down.

“They’re going to be fine, Hunk. So far it doesn’t seem like they’re contagious; Coran and I have been able to establish that much. We’re not going to move them though.” Pidge turned back to the screen, hitting a few keys and bringing up a chart.

“What’s that for?” Hunk frowned, moving closer as he scanned the data on the screen.

“This,” Pidge tapped another key and brought up a second image, this one a full body scan of both Lance and Shiro, “is the progress of growth of the flowers in Lance and Shiro. We’ve been scanning them every five minutes. The growth is getting worse every fifteen.”

Hunk whimpered, reaching out to tap his finger gently on Lance’s outline.

“They’re going to be fine.”

Pidge and Hunk whirled around to stare at Keith. The red Paladin was leaning against the door, tossing his knife gently into the air before catching it. He twirled it between his fingers before sheathing it and striding forward.

“Shiro thinks that Lance has feelings for Allura and that Allura doesn’t feel the same way. We all know how thirsty Lance is for Shiro, though, so all we have to do is wait for Shiro to confess his feelings and everything will be okay.” Keith shrugged as he turned to lean against the console.

“I- what?” Pidge was so confused.

“Lance’s mom has a similar story. Only I don’t know why Lance thinks that Shiro doesn’t feel the same way!” Hunk groaned, running a hand through his hair.

“He’s an idiot,” Keith said, shrugging when Hunk turned accusing eyes to him. “What? I’m not wrong!”

A ding from the computer distracted both of them and they turned to look at Pidge who was staring wide-eyed at a map.

“Pidge?”

“There’s traces of a plant from the planet Dahadi Losiess in their blood. That doesn’t make any sense though. The plant’s used in their justice system!”

**| “I loved him with all of my being, but his soul was already taken by another. My jealousy and hatred took root inside of me and grew until it consumed me. And yet, I loved every part of that pain. It reminded me of the one I loved.” - Unknown, a journal found in an abandoned house in Germany |**

Shiro blinked as Lance broke down into giggles. His nose scrunched up and his eyes sparkled as he grinned. Shiro held back a sigh.

“No, I don’t have feelings for Allura.”

The itchiness that had been building in Shiro’s throat began to recede, and Shiro felt hope begin to fill his heart.

“The man I’m in love with... he... I’ve known him since the Garrison, possibly even before then.”

Lance smiled sadly, sitting up to wrap his arms around his legs. Shiro felt the hope that had been building vanish, and he reached out to pull Lance into his arms. Lance came willingly, folding his limbs so that the two could sit comfortably. A shiver from Lance had Shiro reaching for the blanket they’d ignored, unfolding it before tossing it over their reclining forms with a flick of his wrist.

“He’s amazing,” Lance smiled fondly, his eyes growing soft as he leaned further into Shiro.

Shiro hated himself for it, but he enjoyed every second of it.

Lance sighed, tilting his head back with a frown. His eyebrows furrowed and the little space between them grew wrinkled. Shiro wanted to smooth it away, but he didn’t want to pressure Lance into anything.

A twinge in his throat, the memory of coughing up bloody flowers, reminded Shiro that he was dying anyway.

“He’s kind, and thoughtful,” Lance sighed as Shiro ran his thumb over the spot right above his nose. “He’s always putting others first and forgetting to take care of himself. I have to remind him a lot that he’s important too.”

Shiro swallowed, tilting his head back. “He sounds amazing.”

Lance giggled, shaking his head.

“He’s an idiot though! Sometimes he’ll forget to put on a shirt and then will complain about how cold it gets. And when we’re eating, he’ll get so into certain conversations that he’ll chew with his mouth open. I once watched eat the same piece of, uh, chicken twice because it had fallen out.”

Shiro and Lance snickered together at the imagery, drawing closer together.

“What, uh, what about you, Shiro? Who’s the lucky lady?”

**| No one really knows why the disease disappeared, or even where it came from. It was simply there one century and gone the next. Some historians believe that it was Aliens, and some scientists believe that it was simply a drug-induced hallucination. We’ll probably never know. |**

Allura huffed in annoyance as she ran through the files. Coran had burst in excitedly, announcing that Pidge had found the originating planet. The rest of the Paladins had been scurrying after him, like the mice did sometimes, their eyes bright with hope.

But she just didn’t understand!

The plant was chemically engineered to solve injustices in the Royal Courtroom. Both plaintiff and accuser were to eat the seeds of the plant, and if they told a lie then flowers would begin to blossom and overtake their bodies until they told the truth. It was a simple fix to a huge problem — one that Allura agreed with.

“I don’t understand, Coran! When did Shiro and Lance encounter the seeds? We haven’t gone anywhere near that system, let alone the planet!” Allura slammed her fist down on the control board, wincing when it creaked in protest. She gave it an apologetic pat before turning to face her advisor.

Coran twirled his mustache, flipping through their records. “Maybe they encountered it at a celebration? The Paladins all have a scanner to find poisons and the suit would ignore it as it is t harmful unless they lie about it.”

“That doesn’t explain why they’re coughing up flowers! Shiro and Lance don’t lie!” Allura protested, leaning against the console and crossing her arms over her chest, his fingers tangling in her nightgown.

“I know why,” Keith spoke up from the doorway, Pidge and Hunk at his shoulders.

“They’re in love with each other and refuse to admit it,” Pidge stated bluntly, moving over to the sparks coming out of the holographic control system. Allura avoided their accusing stare, turning her attention to the other two Paladins.

“What’s Pidge talking about?”

Hunk sighed, sitting down in his chair before looking up. “Lance has been in love with Shiro since before we found you, Princess. It’s why he flirts so much with everyone else. He thinks that he’s not good enough for the person and people he loves so he puts on this act. It started with his grandfather; the man hated Lance as a child because he would dress up with his sisters and let them do his makeup.”

Pidge growled from where they were untangling a group of wires. Keith patted their head, humming softly.

“Shiro’s been crushing on Lance since the mission he ran with Shiro and the Blades. I’m guessing his feelings have grown. We’ve been working on his PTSD, but he still thinks of himself as damaged.”

Allura stared between the two with her jaw dropped.

“Are you telling me this could all be over if those two just kissed each other?!”

**| The Jusliec Plant is a special plant. In order to grow, it needs a wet environment and a hormone released in each species. This hormone is a mix of the fear hormone and the guilt hormone. The only way for these two hormones to mix is to lie. That’s why Queen Li’othra decided to use it in her courtroom, and why we continue to use it today when solving all problems! |**

Lance knew that he was a little kinky; he could accept that about himself. He just didn’t think that masochism was one of his kinks. It must be though, because he just straight up asked the one question that could get him killed even faster than he was already dying!

“It’s uh, not really a lady, Lance. Do you remember Adam? They kinda share the same features.”

Lance blinked.

“They’re both smart, funny, and a really good shot. They both have a higher tolerance for spice than I do-“

“Well, you are half-white,” Lance interrupted, grinning at the snort Shiro let out in reply.

“Are you going to let me pine or just interrupt me all the time?” Shiro shot out, pinching Lance’s thigh where his hand had been resting over the blanket.

Lance let out a tiny shriek, jumping before slapping Shiro on the chest in retaliation. Shiro chuckled, shifting Lance into a more comfortable position before letting out a sigh.

“They don’t really flirt with me or really notice me as anything other than a friend or family member though. I- I’ve accepted that, and I don’t blame them for it either. I mean, why should they deal with me?”

Lance felt his entire body tense in protest, his stomach churning. He had known that Shiro felt he was broken on some level — Shiro had admitted as much in one of their Paladins Feeling Sessions. He just hadn’t known that he was on this level.

A level that seemed, disturbingly familiar.

“And I’m not talking about my scars, you’ve helped me accept them as a part of me.” Shiro shot a dazzling smile at Lance. “It’s the rest of it that I don’t want him to deal with. The things that I don’t tell you or the others about. And, I don’t think I ever will. I can barely bring myself to think about them sometimes.”

Shiro shrugged, reaching up to scratch at his nose before sighing. He opened his mouth to continue speaking, and Lance covered Shiro’s lips with his finger.

“Nope. My turn to talk now.” Lance sat up and moved so that he was facing Shiro, ignoring the part of him that was fainting at the feelings of Shiro’s thighs under his.

“Shiro, you are just fine the way you are, and anyone who doesn’t think so is an idiot. I’ve already told you that your scars are beautiful, but I don’t think that I mentioned that I wasn’t just talking about the scars across your skin.”

Shiro was staring back at Lance with wide eyes, his jaw slightly parted as Lance reached about to fondly trace the scar that went across his nose.

“The scars on your skin tell me that you survived a war against others. That you’ve lived through being stabbed. That when they tried to break you, when Haggar and Zarkon did their best to shatter who you were, you said _fuck that_. You _lived_.” Lance let out a frustrated groan, reaching up to tug at his hair before leaning down to grab Shiro’s face in both of his hands.

“And then the scars on your soul tell me of the battles you’ve fought and won with _yourself_. The nights you wake up screaming from your memories; when you flinch at Pidge or Hunk dropping a large scrap of metal somewhere; even when Keith or I surprise you from behind with a conversation and we have to dodge a punch or two.”

Shiro was crying now, and Lance rubbed his tears away with his thumbs before leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead.

It was now or never for Lance.

“You are so strong, mi cariño, and you have no idea how much we love you for it, how much I love you for it,” Lance whispered against Shiro’s forehead, letting himself hide just a little bit so that he wouldn’t have to say those words while staring into Shiro’s eyes.

Shiro was silent even as Lance pulled back to smile wetly at Shiro, tears starting to well in his own eyes.

“Whoever owns your heart is a lucky man, Takashi Shirogane. And they’re a fool for not loving you in return.”

Lance reached up and swiped a hand across both of his eyes, pushing the tears away for now. This wasn’t the time for him to break down; Shiro needed him. And Lance was going to be there for Shiro, only leaving his side when Shiro explicitly said to.

“Lance… you just insulted yourself.”

Shiro still sounded dazed, so it took a few seconds for the words to register in Lance’s head. He frowned in confusion, his head tilting to the side slightly.

“What?”

Shiro slowly started to grin, his eyes shining as he wrapped his arms around Lance’s waist.

“You just insulted yourself.” Lance let out a groan, leaning forward so that his forehead was pressed against Shiro’s chest. His heart was fluttering in his chest, and Lance pinched himself real quick. The jolt of pain made him realize that _yes, this really was happening right now._

“Well, how was I supposed to know!” Lance tangled his fingers in Shiro’s shirt, unable to stop the wide smile from spilling across his face. He could feel his heartbeat in his ears, and where Shiro’s hands were pressed against his hips, Lance’s skin was tingling with awareness.

Shiro laughed, pulling Lance further into his arms. “If it makes you feel any better, I didn’t realize you were talking about me either.”

“Hmmm,” Lance moved to rest his chin on Shiro’s shoulder. “Nope. Doesn’t make me feel any better. All it means is the man I love is just as stupid as I am.”

“You take that back!” Shiro shoved Lance back on the bed, grinning wide as Lance let out a yelp. “You can’t insult the love of my life like that!”

The two began to wrestle on the bed, fingers darting out to poke and tickle as laughter filled the room. They were too distracted to notice that the flowers in the bowl Coran had left for them had dissolved. And when they finally collapsed back onto the bed, limbs tangled as they giggled and nuzzled each other, it was with lungs clear of flower and seed.

Neither man noticed the pair of mice that darted out from underneath the bed, heading for the vents.

In the lounge, curled up between Keith and Coran, Allura let out a tiny giggle. When Keith shot her a questioning look — understandable as someone had just died in the movie they were watching — she simply shook her head with a knowing smile. When he raised an eyebrow, she leaned over to whisper in his ear.

“I just love when things work themselves out.”

**Author's Note:**

> Tada! 
> 
> What did you think? I know one person I had read through kept thinking I was going to kill the boys off, but I’m not that cruel.... yet. ;) 
> 
> So this was inspired by a thought I had after a really bad day. I just really wanted to have a good cry but couldn’t because of the location. So I locked myself in the bathroom and let myself shed 1 (one) tear. And then I made myself smile and continue about my day. That feeling, that kinda of hopeless energy was what inspired this fic, and I really hope that you enjoyed it. 
> 
> I really want to thank Fell for the wonderful artwork, I cried when I saw it and it made me smile for the rest of the day. I also want to thank Orpheus and Mori for being my wonderful betas and making sure my story wasn’t riddled with errors! 
> 
> If you liked my work, please check me out on tumblr! I’m Block-writes-Shance. I post random drabbles based off of artwork and more!


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